The present invention relates to a one coat protective system to be applied to a surface. More particularly, it relates to a multiple component, two part mixture that forms a system that provides a one coat, protective film coat on a surface. The system's film coat treats, protects and encapsulates substantive substrates or surfaces that include, for example, masonary, such as cement, cement blocks, concrete, aggregates, brick, mortar and the like, plaster, plaster board and other wall covering compositions, wood, metal and aluminum. These surfaces can be either painted or unpainted.
This present invention possesses certain properties not generally available in water based coatings, and a variety of environmental properties not possible with solvent based coatings. These properties are due to the combination in the present system of, heretofore uncombinable, water based epoxy, water based polyurethane, solvent based polyurethane and oil based additives.
The properties of the film coat of the present system include unique elastomeric film characteristics that render the film flexible enough to compensate for expansion and contraction, as well as minor flexing of the surface without cracking or splitting of the system's film coat. Also, the system provides the surface with improved adhesion to any clean surface, a waterproof coat, and an ability to be repeatedly cleaned with commercially available household cleaners or soap and water. In addition, the system provides the surface with a protective coat that permits repeated cleaning of subsequently applied graffiti using a particular cleaning composition, without altering the surface or causing damage to any area in close proximity to the surface.
In particular, the system provides an elastomeric protective film coat with extraordinary adhesive and micro non-porous waterproof and penetration resistant properties that permits the coat to encapsulate lead paint, graffiti and certain other contaminants (i.e. toxic paint, salt and the like). The encapsulation prevents leaching or bleed-thru of the contaminant through the film coat. The coat also prevents permanent adhesion to, and or staining of, the protective coat by future graffiti or other surface vandalism and defacing contaminants. It is anticipated that the system's protective film coat will also encapsulate asbestos.
It has been found that the coat withstands multiple cleanings of subsequently applied graffiti with one or more non-abrasive, non-caustic, non-acidic graffiti cleaners, such as the cleaner that is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,780, which issued Jun. 18, 1991, to Cassius Leys, an inventor of the present invention, without any damage to the film coat or the underlying surface. It has also been found that the system's film coat protects the surface from the deleterious effects of acid rain, and the corrosion, pitting, degradation and decay that is caused by atmospheric conditions, chemical contaminants from air-pollution, spills, salt spray, mildew, fungus stains, water and sunlight. Further, the coat provides an anti-soiling, scuff and scratch resistant protective film coat that can be inexpensively and repeatedly cleaned with standard non-caustic, non-abrasive commercially available household cleaners of grease, oil, other hydro carbon contaminants, urine, mildews and general soiling contamination. The coat also provides a waterproof and hydrostatic water pressure resistant barrier for substrates, such as a cellars, tunnels, retainer and subterranean walls, where dampness, moisture or water seepage is a problem. Still further, the system's film coat provides a high degree of dielectric resistance for certain surfaces. Still even further, the protective coat, with the incorporation of certain special bittering/adversive agents, is virtually ingestion proof by humans, animals, certain insects, birds and most marine life.
All of the above is accomplished within a framework of an environmentally and worker safe, non-flammable, negligible volatile organic compounds (VOC) and non-hazardous film coating formulation and system.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is particularly useful as a graffiti deterrent protective coating and an anti-soiling protective coating because of its micro non-porosity and high penetration resistance to solvent paints. Specifically, the vast majority of graffiti is spray paint and color markers having pigments or dyes with fast drying solvents, and solvent or oil based paints, including enamels, epoxies, lacquers and urethanes. Since graffiti is generally applied by a variety of methods, but most frequently by spray cans and color markers, the only practical solution to prevent future graffiti is the use of a protective coat that can be easily, inexpensively, and repeatedly cleaned of graffiti.
The methods for removing graffiti from unprotected surfaces have, heretofore, been economically prohibitive and also environmentally hazardous. The physical methods have included scraping, sandblasting, hydro-sanding or hydro-blasting the surface that bears the graffiti. These methods have been found to etch and score, and, therefore, make the surface porous and rough. Accordingly, the surface is more susceptible to weathering, general deterioration and permanent staining. Further, sandblasting often emits potentially carcinogenic and silicous particles into the air.
Chemicals methods include the use of strong acids, caustic materials or VOC solvents to remove graffiti from both painted and unprotected surfaces. These methods are now being restricted as they pose environmentally hazardous and safety risks that have, theretofore, required extensive steps to: (1) protect the surrounding environment, (2) neutralize and remove the hazardous waste resulting from their use, and (3) protect the worker by using protective clothing and equipment. It has also been found that the repeated use of these chemicals damages most painted surfaces.
Generally, all of these methods require a subsequent recoating of the surface with a high VOC protective coat in order to protect the surface from further deterioration. Depending on the nature of the surface, these methods often have a potentially deleterious effect on any surface area in close proximity thereto. Also, the use of such methods have been proved to be extremely costly, particularly where the surface has had its porosity greatly increased.
Perhaps the most common method currently used to handle graffiti has been to repaint the surface. This approach is, perhaps, the least effective since it requires the use of a paint that is capable of covering the graffiti without bleeding through ("bleed-thru") the new paint. This is usually not possible with most solvent reducable paints since the solvents dissolve the graffiti and bleed-thru the new paint, leaving shadows or stains embedded in the paint.
Most of the currently available anti-graffiti and anti-corrosion protective coating systems are solvent based and rely on high VOC components, such as urethanes, epoxies and acrylics. These components are being restricted or banned by recent governmental, environmental and clean air regulations in the United States and many foreign countries. Accordingly, water reduced or based latex, acrylic latex and vinyl latex coatings are now being used as substitutes. These coatings, however, provide little, if any, anti-soiling, anti-graffiti, anti-fungus and mildew stain resistance properties. Also, they do not provide the micro non-porosity necessary to allow repeated graffiti cleaning or to prevent water damage. In addition, most such coatings provide little protection against sun generated, ultra violet ("UV") chalking and pitting. Therefore, frequent re-painting is needed even though graffiti may not be a problem.
There is a second problem of anti-soiling (such as, hydro carbon exhausts, grease, oil, finger, scuff and scrape marks, spills and the like). With all public sector budgets under enormous pressure to cut costs and the real estate industry in an economic recession, the need exists to find more cost effective methods for general maintenance of both public and private buildings, such as office buildings, schools, residential buildings and the like, that require continual maintenance, cleaning and frequent repainting.
With the increasing restrictions on solvent based coatings and their unwanted VOC and concerns over environmental contamination and worker safety hazards of solvent based coatings, and since most water based coatings cannot provide the micro non-porosity and penetration resistance needed to withstand the repeated cleaning, neither coating resolves anti-soiling problems. The present invention, however, offers a viable, practical, efficient and cost effective film protective coating that can be repeatedly cleaned of such soiling using standard non-caustic, non-abrasive household cleaners.
There is a third problem with lead paint encapsulation. The public in general, government departments and the residential real estate industry have become increasingly concerned due to the hazardous health threat posed in all types of housing from previously applied lead paint and, especially, from lead paint dust that emanates from old, dried, cracking, peeling (lead) paint and from the removal of lead paint itself. This problem has become acute for families with young children under age ten.
The problem confronting all property owners faced with the need for a lead abatement program on their facilities is the matter of cost and lack of availability of financial resources to handle a lead paint removal program. Thus, encapsulation is being advanced as the only practical solution for many facilities. But even the concept of encapsulation often has serious problems in both its impracticality in many circumstances, and a higher cost than most lead abatement solutions.
Thus, a need for a lead paint encapsulation coating is critical if real progress in reducing the exposure and health hazards posed by existing lead paint is to be effectively addressed.
The present system is particularly adapted for use on surfaces having lead paint since it has all the properties needed for lead paint encapsulation coating, i.e. micro non-porosity, waterproof and high hydrostatic water resistance, elastomeric flexibility, very high adhesion and abrasion factors, high impact resistance and non-toxicity of the coating if ingested. These properties are reinforced by the other attributes of the coating, namely non-flammibility, non-hazardous, negligible VOC's, no fumes, water clean-up, high graffiti and soiling resistance, ability to withstand repetitive graffiti and regular soiling cleaning without damage to the coating.
The present system and the resultant film coat deals with a fourth problem, namely protection against corrosion, acid rain and chemical contaminant that occur daily on surfaces. In particular, acid rain is becoming an increasingly critical factor in the deterioration of stone and especially, limestone structures since the acid eats away at the stone. Likewise, chemical contaminants in the atmosphere from industrial pollution and in areas adjacent to salt water, salt air, salt mist and spray attack, exert corrosive stress on metal, especially iron, steel and aluminum.
Heretofore, a wide variety of industrial protective coatings, almost all of which have been solvent based or hazardous chemically based, are available to solve this problem. However, the increasing concern by government agencies, such as EPA and OSHA, and the private sector, and the various regulations and the practices of many government agencies are all but making the use of these types of coatings either illegal or cost prohibitive, and cumbersome from the standpoint of environmental and worker safeguard requirements.
The present system provides an environmental and worker safe, economically feasible and practical alternative to providing protection since it is not as expensive and prevents the often crippling results of corrosion, acid rain and chemical contaminant degradation. While the present system is not as durable in all respects as some of the older, flammable, highly toxic, high VOC industrial coatings, it will, because of its properties, especially its micro non-porsity and resistance to moisture, outperform practically all of the more recent environmentally compliant water based coatings currently on the market.
There is a fifth problem, namely the need for a coating that provides high dielectric resistance to the surface of metal fixtures, machinery, transmission facilities and equipment. Also, the coating needs to be non-flammable, micro non-porous, waterproof and have the elastomeric qualities necessary to handle expansion and contraction of the underlying metal. The increasing need to have a coating that contains all these properties, while simultaneously being fire retardant, environmentally and worker safe, is underscored as air, water and land pollution continue to effect adversely the quality of life. The present film coat has been found to have the enhanced dielectric resistance properties, especially on a steel structure, as well as all of the above properties.
There is a sixth problem, namely prevention of lead paint salt leaching, encapsulation of "blush rust" and existing graffiti. The pigmented version of the present system will cover and prevent leaching of lead salts, "blush rust" on metal, and existing graffiti, thereby preventing bleed-thru of the coating and spreading of rust on the surface under the subject protective coating.
There is a seventh problem and an eight problem, namely a need for an ingestion proof protective coating for lead paint encapsulation, and a protective coat that is effective for land and marine equipment and facilities. The micro non-porosity, non-leaching and waterproofing characteristics of the present system and its film coat, coupled with the incorporation of the non-water soluble bittering/adversive agents provide protection against: (1) ingestion by children of any encapsulated old lead painting chips or peelings of such paint that is "over coated"(encapsulated) with the present film coat, and (2) the collection-attachment of certain marine life to marine surfaces coated with the present system incorporating such bittering/adversive agents.
There is a ninth problem, namely the encapsulation of asbestos. While not completely tested, it is believed that the film coat of the present system can, as it does with graffiti and lead paint, encapsulate and thereby contain asbestos that already exists of the surface.
Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,056 is directed to a SYSTEM FOR TREATING A SURFACE in which the system's composition rendered a treated surface substantially resistant to subsequent markings of graffiti and other defacements, and permits the coating to be readily, inexpensively and repeatedly cleaned using a particular cleaning composition without altering the surface or causing damage to any area in close proximity thereto. This system is a two coat system involving the use of two, separately applied coatings that, when applied one over the other, created a protective coating with extraordinary anti-graffiti performance. However, the polyurethane top coat of this two coat system has a high VOC content, and now undesired chemical components. The use of this top coat and, hence, the two coat system are now restricted in use in the United States and many other countries.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/423,809 to Cassius Leys, the inventor of the present system, which was filed on Oct. 18, 1989, for A SYSTEM FOR TREATING A SURFACE is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,056. However, this patent application also involves chemicals that are to be subject to U.S. government, environmental and health restrictions.
The present system is a significant improvement over both of the above systems because the present system is a one coat system and not a two separate coat system, is non-flammable whereas the top coat of the two coat system is a highly flammable, has negligible VOC's and fumes whereas the top coat of the two coat system contains isocyanates and a VOC level of 4.2 lbs/gallon, and contains negligible hazardous or highly toxic chemicals thereby making the present system environmentally compliant and worker/end user safe as opposed to the two coat systems which contains undesirable and toxic components in its top coat.